Luna of the Mist
by Summerflowers26
Summary: (ShikamaruxOC) The mist attack a small village, Luna decides it isn't right. So she warns the leaf and fights against her village. She's taken into the leaf, under the care of Shikamaru.
1. Chapter 1

It was another normal day in the leaf village, and Shikamaru Nara was bored out of his mind. He walked around his empty apartment early one morning, a sigh escaping his lips.

"What a drag, there is absolutely nothing to do around here." He commented to himself with a sigh as he collapsed onto his couch. After the Great War had ended, things had calmed down in the ninja world. Now at eighteen and living in his own space, Shikamaru had nothing to do besides go on the occasional assigned mission from Tsunade or volunteer at the ninja academy.

_Maybe it's time I took a team of my own. _Shikamaru pondered in his head as he looked out the window at the awaking village. He knew his mother's answer would be different. He could picture her screaming at him, telling him it was time to settle down with a girl. Without his father around for her to boss around, she had begun to bug him lately.

"Not like there are any girls I know that I'm interested in, like that." Shikamaru sighed again as he thought about it. Sure, there was Temari, whom he admitted was attractive, but she just wasn't what he was looking for in his idea of a perfect girl. Ino was too troublesome for him, so she was out. At this rate, Shikamaru wasn't sure he was ever going to find the one, but it didn't bother him that much.

An urgent tapping on his door broke him from his train of thoughts. He jumped up, running to the door. He opened it, seeing Kakashi standing outside his apartment.

"Get to the main gate as soon as possible; someone will explain there." Kakashi told him before disappearing.

"What a drag." Shikamaru replied, but was actually filled with slight excitement. This meant a mission, something was happening. He quickly gathered the necessary equipment for a mission and then left for the gate.

There were already a few others waiting at the gate, but with each passing minute more arrived. No one spoke as they awaited direction from someone. Shikamaru observed the growing crowd, figuring whatever was happening was serious judging on how many people they had called here.

Kakashi and Yamato appeared a few minutes later, calling everyone's attention. "We're going to try and keep this quick. As some of you may know, there is a small village on the border of the fire nation that produces many unique fire style shinobi. We received word from multiple sources that the village hidden in the mist is attacking that village tonight, with intent to destroy it, the villagers and its unique fire style Justus. We aren't sure what their motives are. Our job is to get there and stop the attack." Yamato announced, followed by Kakashi dividing the group into teams.

As soon as the teams and duties were established, Yamato led them off. But, Shikamaru and the team he was leading stayed behind a moment due to Kakashi wanting to give them additional instructions.

"One of the warnings of the attack came from a young lady named Luna, whom fought with us in the Great War. She is a shinobi of the hidden mist, but was born and raised in the village that is being attacked. Due to the high possibility that the mist will find out about her betrayal and attempt to kill her, your team is to find her and assure her safe return to the leaf." Kakashi told them before leading his team out of the village.

_Easy enough_. Shikamaru thought as he led his team through the forest. Kakashi had assigned him the perfect team for finding and recovering the girl, if they knew what she looked or smelled like. Hinata with her eyes, Shino with his bugs and Kiba with Akamaru were great in recovery missions, but they didn't know who this girl was and that was the main challenge.

The village they were heading towards was a day's trip away, but the teams were able to reach it as the sun was setting. But it was already too late, and the village was surrounded by a thick cloud of mist. Fire type Justus would be at a disadvantage in this justu.

Shikamaru could hear the screams of the villagers, his stomach turning. This is why he hated war, but he had a mission to complete; the others would stop the attack. Kakashi gave the signal, and the leaf began their counter attack.

His team followed Hinata as she led them through the smoke. Shikamaru had begun to lose hope that they would ever find the girl when they heard a loud cry. They ran towards where it had come from, and spotted a small group of children hiding behind a girl. There were three younger mist ninja in front of her, ready to attack.

"How dare you betray the hidden mist Luna?" The first boy cried out, a hurt look his face. Shikamaru held his team back, wanting to wait until the right moment to strike now that they had found their target. _This was easier than I thought it was going to be._

"The mist has no reason to slaughter this village! I would never lead an attack on my own family!" Luna cried back. Shikamaru could tell she had already been in a few battles. Hinata could tell her chakra was running low, and there were visible cuts that were still dripping blood on her.

"You are one of us, we are your family! Isn't that what you taught us sensei?" The girl of the mist argued.

"I also taught you that this is wrong! Slaughtering innocent people, innocent children, is wrong! This isn't what the hidden mist should stand for!" Luna raised the knife in her hand and stepped forward. "If you do not turn back now, I will be forced to disable you for the time being." She paused, looking at the team with anger and sadness in her eyes. "Please guys, I don't want to hurt you."

"It's too late now." The second boy told her as they all raised their hands to prepare for a justu. But, they froze, suddenly caught in Shikamaru's Justu. His team appeared from the shadows in front of Luna, shocking the three from the mist.

"Luna, we are from the leaf." Shikamaru announced as he turned back to look at her. There were tears streaming down her dirty face, but there was a determination her purple eyes he hadn't ever seen in anyone else. "We're here to help you."

"Please, get these children to safety. I will deal with my team." She replied.

"Shino, Kiba." Shikamaru turned to them. They nodded and grabbed the four children that were hiding behind Luna.

Once they were gone, Luna stepped past Shikamaru and Hinata, looking at her paralyzed team. "I'm sorry about this; maybe one day you will learn and realize your mistake. If you do, you know where you can find me." She turned back, nodding to Shikamaru. He was unsure, but he released the ninja from his hold.

It only took her five seconds to knock them all out. Shikamaru guessed this was due to her having trained them and knowing their abilities by heart. But, she was also insanely fast, even with little chakra. She turned back to Shikamaru and Hinata, her eyes beginning to gloss over.

Shikamaru caught her just before she collapsed. "Thank you." She whispered to him before closing her eyes and going unconscious. The attack had changed tides, and the mist was beginning to retreat. Hinata and Shikamaru made their way back to the meeting place, Shikamaru carrying Luna.

He began to observe her more closely once they got there and he set her on the ground. Her long dark purple hair was stained with blood, and there was a deep gash in her side that was still slightly bleeding. But, she had a pretty face, one that Shikamaru believed would glow when it smiled.

Hinata had run off to find a medical ninja, and a minute later came back with Ino. As Ino began to heal the gash, Luna's eyes fluttered open.

"You're safe now, the children are too." Shikamaru told her as he sat by her side. She looked up at him, and as if recognizing him from earlier, she smiled at him. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile back; he had been right about her smile, it was beautiful. She grimaced in pain a few times, but by the time Ino was done treating her, she seemed okay, just exhausted.

The leaf worked throughout the night and secured the area around the small village. Unfortunately, most of the village was lost and most of the villages were hurt if not dead. The leaf headed back to the village with the most wounded, but left behind a few to protect the village in case of a counter attack.

Luna was almost too exhausted to make the journey back to the leaf, but Shikamaru stayed by her side the entire time. It was slower going this time, and they arrived at the village the next night. The hospital was crowded with patients, and after Luna was checked, the two sat in the hallway waiting to get a chance to talk to lady Tsunade.

Shikamaru yawned as he looked at Luna, who was asleep with her head on his shoulder. He hadn't left her side since they had found her. After not getting a chance to sleep for the past two days, he was exhausted. _Guess this is what I get for wishing for something to do. _


	2. Chapter 2

Shikamaru sat in the chair at his desk, waiting for Luna to wake up. He was pretending to read a book so it would be less weird when she did, but he was still anxiously waiting.

He jumped slightly when her eyes began to flutter open. He watched as she began to look around, seeing confusion spread across her face.

"Good morning sleepy head." He called to her, closing the book in his hands and setting it on the desk beside him.

"Oh, it's you." She replied as she looked at him. She slowly sat up, stilling hurting from the gash on her side. "I must be at your house then."

"Yeah, the hospital was crowded and you were exhausted, so I offered to let you stay here." Shikamaru answered with a shrug.

"Thank you. Mind telling me your name my mysterious savior?" She asked, chuckling softly.

"Shikamaru Nara." He replied, shocked when he realized he hadn't told her before.

"Well, thank you Shikamaru. I'm Luna, but you already seem to know that." Luna laughed again, and Shikamaru couldn't look away from her.

"You must be hungry. I'll go make us something to eat. You can take a shower in the meantime, the bathroom is right over there. My teammate Ino brought over some clothes for you to have. I apologize, they're a little strange since she is…a strange girl." Shikamaru told her as he stood up.

"You leaf ninja are so kind." She whispered, almost to herself before turning to look at Shikamaru. "I'll forever be in your debt."

"Don't worry about it." Shikamaru replied as he walked out of the room and headed down to the kitchen. He just hoped there was real food in the kitchen.

Leah smiled as she stepped out of the shower, happy to finally get all the dried blood washed out of her hair. It felt strange being in such an unfamiliar place, but she knew she could never return to the mist village.

She looked at the clothes Shikamaru's teammate had left for her, disappointed that while they fit her perfectly, they weren't exactly her style. There was a normal looking dress, but Luna wasn't the dress wearing type. A little cutting with the one knife she had left with her and a little tying together brought her shorts from the weird pants and a bandeau and loose shirt from the rest. She uses a piece of the leftover cloth to tie her long hair up into a ponytail.

She looked down at her headband, feeling like a part of her was missing without it on. But, she couldn't bring herself to wear it, it was a symbol she wasn't proud to represent anymore. She gripped the knife in her hand, letting her chakra flow through it to warm it up. Once it was hot enough to milt the metal, she ran it across her headband, silently forming a solid line across the hidden mist's symbol.

Smiling, she put her headband around her head. _Much better_.

Shikamaru began to panic when he heard her footsteps on the staircase. Even though he had their food all spread out and ready at the table, he was still worried she wouldn't find it enjoyable.

He tried to calm herself as she arrived at the lower level of his apartment. Luna began to look around until she spotted Shikamaru sitting at the table. He saw her smile as she looked at the food, but he had his eyes focused on her. She had taken the horrid clothes that Ino had left and had changed them completely. Somehow, he thought they fit her better, seemed more like, her. Not like he knew her at all.

"You didn't have to wait for me!" she told him as she sat down across from him. That's when her headband caught his eye; he noticed the slash she had made on it. He decided not to bring it up for now.

"Just thought I'd be polite to my guest." Shikamaru replied with a sigh.

"You're already done plenty for me." She told him with a smile before grabbing her chopsticks. "Now, shall we eat?"

They sat in silence for a while after they finished eating. "Thank you for the meal, it was great" Luna announced after a while, to which Shikamaru gave a quiet response back.

"You play shōgi?" He asked her, thinking about how he hadn't had anyone to challenge since Asuma's death.

"At times." She replied with a dramatic sigh. "Most people our age aren't into board games so I never have anyone smart enough to challenge." Shikamaru smirked at the sound of her hidden challenge, and got up to grab his board.

The two played for hours, deeply focused on their intense game. By the time Luna won the last game, the overall score was 4 to 3, Luna in the lead.

"Well, as fun as this is, I'm sleepy." Luna announced with a yawn.

Shikamaru was slightly disappointed to end the fun they were having. "Well, we can play again some other time."

"I'd like that." Luna replied with a smile towards him. "I'm guessing I'm staying here for another night?"

"Lady Tsunade said to give you three days, and then to have you report to her. You can stay will me as long as you need to." Shikamaru told her. He was shocked his mother hadn't found out about a girl living with him, but when she did he knew she'd barge in and make a ruckus. What a drag that would be.

"Oh." Luna replied, sounding shocked. But, he saw her smile, and couldn't help but wonder if she was enjoying his company as much as he was enjoying hers.

"You can sleep in my bed again if you'd like, I don't mind sleeping on the couch." Shikamaru announced as he got up, putting the game board away.

"Oh no! I'll take the couch! I don't want to inconvenience you!" Luna cried out.

Shikamaru laughed quietly at her reaction. "You're my guest, now go get some sleep." Shikamaru told her as he turned and gave her a smile.

She paused for a moment, looking at him. "Well, okay. Good night Shikamaru."

"Sleep well." He called after her as she began to climb the stairs. Once she was gone, he set all the dishes into the sink from their meal and settled down on the couch.

He sighed as he thought about her. Even though he hardly knew her, he still had these weird feelings for her. She was so intelligent, fun to talk to, adorable, kind, so unlike anyone he had ever met before. He couldn't help but wonder what she thought of him.

Luna laid in his bed awake for a while that night, noticing that even the sheets smelled of his sent. She liked it though, just like she liked being in his company. He was so unlike the stupid, cruel boys of the mist village. He was so smart, and even if he was a little laid back and lazy, he was charming in his own unique way. She couldn't believe how kind he was, letting her stay with him for so long. _Two more days, after that I may never see him again._


	3. Chapter 3

Shikamaru woke up the next day to the sound of water running in the kitchen. Unsure of what was causing the noise, he dragged himself off of the couch. Sleepily, he made his way into the kitchen and was shocked to find Luna, awake and dressed.

"What are you doing?" He asked her as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Just cleaning up, dishes and such. I figured since you're so kind to let me stay here, I'd help out a little. Seems like young men don't do their dishes often." She replied with a giggle before going back to wash the dish she was holding.

Shikamaru blushed in embarrassment. "Well, I do them sometimes. Just not as big of a need since it's only me living here."

"I get that." Luna was still chuckling. "But just so you know, this is a onetime thing, I won't be your housemaid forever." She hated cleaning, but she figured it was one of the few ways she could even begin to repay him.

Luna jumped slightly as Shikamaru came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Well, thank you." He whispered, his voice still sleepy sounding. He gave her a hug before letting go and walking out of the room. Leah felt a blush spread across her face, pushing the thought and desire for him to do that again out of her mind as she continued to wash the dishes.

Shikamaru couldn't believe he was actually awake. First, Luna was in his kitchen, doing his dishes. Second, he had actually hugged her, which was so unlike him. He felt himself blush as he thought about it, which made him more embarrassed.

Later as they were playing shōgi again, Luna was thinking about how weird it was that Shikamaru hadn't questioned her about what had happened before they had met. He hadn't questioned her mark on her headband either. She wondered if he wasn't allowed to or was just trying to not make her feel awkward.

As they were playing, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Shikamaru called, unwilling to interrupt the game. It was near the end, and neither side had a clear advantage.

"Hey kids, just me." Kakashi called as he walked in. He paused as he spotted them, sighing as he waited for one of them to win. After Luna won, the two turned their attention to Kakashi.

"Lady Tsunade would like to speak to you Shikamaru. Don't worry, it shouldn't take long." Kakashi reported.

Shikamaru glanced at Luna, whom looked uncomfortable at the thought of him leaving her alone. Kakashi seemed to notice it to, because he added "Oh don't worry, I'll stay here with Miss Luna while you're gone." She still didn't look very happy, and Shikamaru wondered if she was nervous about being left with someone she didn't know in a foreign village. He knew he would if he was in her position.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I'll even pick some dinner up on my way back." Shikamaru told her with a smile. She smiled back, but it seemed forced.

After Shikamaru left, Kakashi and Luna decided to see if Shikamaru had any good books to read to pass the time. After looking through his bookshelf in his room, Kakashi settled on the chair by the desk and started reading the book he had in his pocket. Luna, picking an interesting looking book off the shelf, sat on his bed.

Like they had said, Shikamaru returned about an hour later, which since Luna had been intently reading, hadn't seem like that long of time. Once Kakashi heard the door open, he waved Luna a silent goodbye and disappeared.

"Luna?" Shikamaru questioned once he shut the door behind him. He found it weird her and Kakashi weren't waiting for him in the living room.

"I'm up here." Luna replied, too into the book to get up and go greet him. It was about the history of the leaf village, something Luna had never heard anything about. _I'm too curious for my own good._

Shikamaru walked up the stairs, instantly spotting her as she sat on his bed. He sighed as he looked around the room, seeing Kakashi had already left. "Miss me?" He asked her as he walked up, smiling as he watched her intently read the book she was holding. It was insanely attractive to see such a beautiful girl reading on his bed.

She mumbled a yes as she nodded. She flipped the page of the book, marked it, and then shut it. She set it in her lap and looked up at him with a smile. "Enjoy your meeting?" She questioned.

"Eh, it was boring." Shikamaru answered with a shrug as he set the bag of food in his hand on the ground. He sat down beside her, looking to see what book she was reading. "I'm much happier to come home to a beautiful girl reading in my bed." He realized what he said too late, and he looked at her, seeing her blush. He felt his cheeks redden too, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Well, you have a comfy bed and very interesting books." She replied, laughing.

He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. _Where are all these crazy thoughts coming from? This is so unlike me. _He hardly knew her, they had met only a couple of days ago. He knew nothing about her past, but somehow none of this mattered to him. They had just clicked, in a way that he hadn't with anyone else.

_He should just make a move already._ Luna wasn't sure why she was so comfortable around him, this boy she had barely met. Maybe it was because of how nice he had been to him these past couple of days. Maybe she enjoyed his laidback and somewhat silly nature. Whatever it was, she sure didn't want these days with him to end.

There was a silence between them as they sat there together, neither of them moving. "Well" Shikamaru announced. "We should eat our food before it gets cold."

"Okay." Luna replied with a smile. Shikamaru picked the bag up off the ground and pulled out the two boxes of food, handing one to her. "Thank you." She said as she took it from him.

_A girl who isn't afraid to eat and have a little meat on her bones. _Shikamaru remembered his talk with Choji many years ago when Ino was in her diet phase to impress Saskue. Luna was that girl, she ate everything Shikamaru had given her without a single complaint.

"You leaf people have such interesting, but yummy food." She told him as she closed her empty box and set it down in front of her. He took his box and her and set them back into the bag. "I feel so lazy now." Luna announced as she flopped backwards, laying out on his bed.

"Yeah, a good meal should always be followed by a nap." Shikamaru replied as he set the bag onto the floor.

"Hey, come lay here." She told him, which caught him off guard. Nervously, he laid down beside her. She turned and rolled onto him, resting her arms on his chest so she could look at his face. "There are some things in the book that don't make sense, would you explain them to me?"

"Sure, ask away." He told her, wondering if he was blushing from how close she was to him.

"Thank you." She replied as she laid her head down on his chest. As she began to talk to him about the things she had read, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She didn't seem to mind, so that was a good sign for him.

They talked for a while, but eventually she began to yawn and look sleepy. "Maybe we should stop for the night." Shikamaru suggested.

"No, I still have so many things I'm curious about." She replied in a sleepy, soft voice. "Like, the statues of the faces…"

A few minutes later, she was asleep on his chest. _Should I get up? She seems so comfy though, I don't want to wake her up. Not to mention I'm really enjoying cuddling with her, I guess staying here wouldn't be a bad thing._ Eventually, he too drifted off to sleep.


End file.
